Transcript

Associate Producer

John from Canada.

Podcast Introduction

Our reading today Psalms 102-104. I’ll have a brief introduction to each chapter, then after we read all three, I’ll have some comments for you.

I’m calling today’s episode “Through It All.”  

Design and Photo: Steve Webb

Comments on Psalms 102 and 104

Psalm 102

Psalm 102 reminded me of a song by the great Andrae’ Crouch. It’s called “Through It All.” I’ll have a video on the show notes page if you’d like to hear it.  Verse three is especially good. 

https://youtu.be/iB2pPCydEjs

I can’t listen to this song without joining Andrae in praising the Lord. It’s so good. It’ll be on the show notes page at /s12e238. If you want to have a time of praise, go listen. 

Psalm 104

When I was a young man, I did quite a lot of hiking and backpacking and rock climbing. One of the greatest trips I took was in the High Sierra. Some friends of mine and I hiked from the area around Mammoth Mountain, where a couple of years later I became a professional ski patrolman, to Yosemite Valley, truly one of the most beautiful places on Earth. As the crow flies, the distance is about 35 miles. Our hike was about 70 miles. We took 10 days to make the trip, because we took some days exploring the area around our camps and fishing.

Why am I telling you this? Because I really love seeing God's creation, and I get how some people can look at it and worship the creation instead of the creator. I get it, but I feel sorry for people who do that. To see the beauty of a sunrise over a mountain meadow, or hear the trickling of a stream teeming with brook trout, or to gaze upon majestic mountain peaks, or hear the thundering of crashing waves on the shore, and fail to acknowledge the awesome Creator of these wonders and all there is, is tragic in my eyes.

I have often wondered how people fail to realize that all of these things come from God, but then I remember that it is Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. And Jesus said that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws them to Him. So beloved, people can't know that the beauty we see was created by God unless He reveals Himself to them. 

Knowing this compels me to do at least two things. Number one: I must praise God for calling me to Himself. It is not because I'm so smart that I love Him, it is because He revealed Himself to me, and He gave me the faith to believe. And number two, I have tell others about Him. Because Romans 10:17 tells us that Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It is our job to plant the seeds of faith by telling others the Good News, and it is God who takes it from there. 

God gave us a beautiful world to live in that illustrates His creative and mighty and orderly nature. Praise HIM, the Creator, for that, not the creation.

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 102 NIRV; Ch. 103-104 CEV

Support

This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.